Literacy App Review

I came across a wonderful source after having conducted a search via the App Store.  I narrowed my search to "Books", and stumbled across a few classics.  Having not grown up with Dr. Seuss books--except for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, my Seuss repetoire is minimal and I wanted to see whether or not I enjoyed his works.  Needless to say, and like so many before me, I am sold!

The story is a very simple one and introduces children to the alphabet and beginning sounds of words.  Readers will quickly become accustomed to the rhythm of the book which starts and continues something like this, "BIG A little a  Whatbegins with A?  Auntie Allison's Alligator."  The majority of the book is written this way.  Of course, being that this a Dr. Seuss creation--be prepared to meet some strange creatures, like a duck-dog, fiffer-feffer-feff, quacking quacker-oo, and a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz!  These made-up names are sure to ellicit a few chuckles and laughs.  

Based on our understanding of emergent literacy, and the Five Stages of Movement Toward Word Fluency (Fox), use of this book would be helpful with the introduction or continued instruction of letter names and the idea that letters represent sounds.  Pictures assist in providing meaning for children who are, at this stage, Prealphabetical.  There is a strong emphasis placed on identifying beginning sounds in words.  The book could also be appropriate for learners at the Partial Alphabetic stage who are combining picture cues with beginning letter-sound cues to read new words as these students already can give the name and sounds of most letters.  

I utilized this book during the 3rd meeting (activity) with my kindergarten buddy.  I had intended to see if he could identify beginning sounds (his ELP results indicated that he did not understand beginning sounds, only rhyming).  I was pleasantly surprised to find that he clearly understood beginning sounds.  He was also able to contribute his own ideas about words that began with certain letters. I would like to read this book to Prealphabetical/Partial Alphabetic readers and ask them to participate in sorting activities/categorizing, and I would also like to implement an activity where students create a book of alphabet sounds.  For each letter of the alphabet, they write words or draw pictures of the things that begin with the sounds of the alphabet. 

I have made strong recommendations for the use of this app because of its content, usability, and visual appeal.  Also, a nice feature is that a student can read the book to his or herself or have a narrator read the book while listening to the narration (use headphones).  What another great alternative to the books on headsets or books on tape (visual component added as many students are visual learners).